Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Carrot Soufflé: A Family Favorite


We love carrot soufflé, plain and simple. It has become a staple in my cooking repertoire, a go-to dish for guests (especially very young guests), the fall holidays and anytime I have an abundance of carrots. And it is perfect to serve on Halloween before heading out to trick-or-treat!


The original recipe was given to me many years ago by our dear friend, Salima. She knew we would devour it and be in carrot heaven. I still have the original piece of paper I scribbled the recipe on as Salima shared it, carefully taped into my recipe binder. Over the years, I’ve served carrot soufflé to those who claim to not like carrots. After hearing the promise that this is like no other carrot dish they’ve tried, they try bites and became carrot converts.

Of course, I haven’t mentioned yet that this is almost a dessert. Enter the magic of butter and sugar! The carrots are cooked until soft, pureed with eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, a smidgen of flour and then baked. What emerges from the oven is a bright orange pan of carrot bliss.


It can be prepped ahead and baked just before serving. The soufflé has a smooth, creamy texture and it is wonderful served warm, room temperature or even chilled (leftovers enjoyed straight from the fridge!). Always a crowd pleaser, it is autumn comfort on a plate.

Carrot Soufflé
Adapted from Salima’s recipe
Serves 8-9 (in a 9x9 inch dish - the recipe doubles easily to fit a 9x13 baking dish)

1 1/2 pound carrots, sliced and steamed or boiled until very soft (I do not peel)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar (depending upon how sweet your carrots taste)
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x9 inch square baking dish. If doubling the recipe, prepare a 9x13 inch dish.

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping side the down as needed. Pour batter into baking dish.

At this point, you can refrigerate the dish overnight and bake just before serving, or you can bake ahead and warm in the oven before serving.

Bake for 40 minutes. If making in a 9x13 inch dish, bake for 45 minutes. The soufflé should be fairly firm when pressed on top. Cool and cut into squares to serve.

13 comments:

  1. This sounds soo good! I love carrots - as a baby I ate so much carrot baby food I turned orange. It was always a favorite.

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  2. This looks fantastic! I wonder how much sweeter it would be if you roasted the carrots? Would the "roasted" flavor take away from it?

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  3. @katherinemartinelli
    I love it - a true carrot fan! Carrots have always been a favorite of mine, too.

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  4. @B
    That's a terrific suggestion, B! Roasting brings out such sweet flavor in root veggies...I'll try it the next time I make the souffle. Let me know if you do, too!

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  5. This looks interesting -- it really DOES look like dessert. But no? I am definitely trying that chocolate almond bread.

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  6. Butter and brown sugar really do work magic with carrots, don't they? :)

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  7. @tipsybaker
    Hi Tipsy Baker- we've always eaten the souffle as a side dish, but I have had thoughts of serving it as a dessert with grilled pineapple and a dollop of whipped cream... I hope you enjoy the chocolate almond bread. Thank you for stopping by!

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  8. @The Shiksa in the Kitchen
    Oh yes, butter and sugar are wonderful with carrots...and more! :)

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  9. My parents do something very similar with sweet potatoes and that's awesome, so I can imagine it would be lovely with carrots, as well. Paul and I both really like carrots, so that's not a problem, but this would be perfect for family dinners, because everybody else is a lot more picky than we are!

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  10. @Lauren
    Mmmm, your parents' sweet potato dish sounds terrific, Lauren! I do love sweet potatoes. I hope you enjoy the carrot souffle, and yes - definitely a good one for family dinners.

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  11. I love converting haters to lovers :) A new way with carrots for me, thanks Hannah.

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  12. Just made carrot souffle tonight. Think we're gonna have it for breakfast tomorrow. It's gotta be healthier (& less sugar) than pancakes, right?
    A tip for serving this as a dessert (& to help convince those pickier eaters to give it a try) - sprinkle powdered sugar on it when serving. :)
    ~Julie :)

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